2019-02-12 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                               12 FEBRUARY 2019


issues, lacking parameters to protect the desired land use within a region from the effects of the
rapid rise of short-term holiday rental activity infiltrating residential areas previously void of
tourism. Compounding this, it is understandably challenging to regulate an industry where the
commercial enterprises have such different business models, perspectives and goals.

The Noosa Council Short Term Accommodation Online Platform Issues Paper prepared with the
assistance of Mercer Consulting (provided as Attachment 1) aims to comprehensively explore
the challenges arising from the sharp growth of the short-term online rental market in the Noosa
shire, and in doing so explore the complexities of the issue in order to facilitate the development
of a suite of reasonable and actionable responses moving forward.

Strategic awareness of the issues and challenges, and the development of actionable responses
to address these challenges is critical to the sustainable and amenable future of the shire.
Council’s response should consider the legal, economic, social, administrative and monitoring
aspects, with a clear undertaking that the response does not impact negatively on the region’s
tourism through overregulation and onerous legislation. It is important to make sure that the
response to “home sharing” and short stay accommodation is in the best interests of both the
community and the economy.

The paper proposes a number of principles that will guide the actions that Council should
implement to manage the identified challenges. These principles include:

1.     Achieve transparency across the accommodation share economy;
2.     To limit the impact on, and protect the region’s residential liveability;
3.     Support the safety and security of guests, hosts and their neighbours liveability; and
4.     Support innovation and sustainable growth in the Noosa tourism industry.

Whilst the paper highlights a number of responses required to begin to address the identified
issues, it does not yet assign any timeframes or priorities to these responses. Moving forward a
broader action plan will need to be developed (and resources appropriately identified) to prioritise
actions and timing of deliverables, with a view to ensuring that any plan is appropriately fluid
enough to react to the changing nature of the issues at play (including any potential legislative
changes made by the Queensland Government).

Previous Council Consideration
Nil.

Finance
Minor costs are being incurred with respect to the online short term accommodation property
monitoring pilot program. Further resourcing costs are likely as responses are implemented with
required actions appropriately prioritised, costed and funded in the budget.

Risks & Opportunities
The paper identifies a number of risks with respect to the impact of online accommodation share
economy growth, in particular potential planning conflicts, housing affordability and safety,
tourism gentrification, over tourism etc.

The paper provides proposed responses to mitigate these risks and to provide opportunity to
ensure that the technological and shared economy transformation occurs whilst ensuring both
community and economic need is met.




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